HYDERABAD: Embattled Hyderabad Region Additional IG Police Dr Jameel Ahmed has made another controversial decision by appointing a DSP to head the defunct CIA centre in Tando Allahyar.

The centre was closed down on the recommendations of a high-level inquiry ordered by the Sindh IGP into custodial death of a suspect in April this year.

DSP Aslam Langah, who was posted as the DSP Complaint Cell Hyderabad Range, has been posted as the CIA centre DSP in Tando Allahyar on June 23 under orders of the Hyderabad Region AIG against existing vacancy.

DSP Langah has served in the CIA Hyderabad for close to six years, which is perhaps the longest service period of any DSP there.

The closure of the Tando Allahyar CIA centre had followed submission of the inquiry committee’s findings to Sindh IG Police Mushtaq Mahar into custodial death of suspect Babar Khanzada.

The inquiry committee was led by then Benazirabad DIG Mazhar Nawaz Shaikh (now posted in Larkana). Hyderabad and Benazirabad SSPs were members of the inquiry committee.

The committee’s report was submitted in the third week of April to the Sindh IGP.

The inquiry team had dubbed police constable Irfan Dahiri (of CIA) as mastermind of criminal negligence behind the arrest of Babar Khanzada and his subsequent custodial death.

The committee had concluded that the suspected had committed — as per medical reports — suicide in the lockup.

The team had recommended abolition of CIA Centre Tando Allahyar. “The CIA should perform its duties as mandated under Police Rules,” the team had suggested.

Later, Hyderabad Range Police DIG Sharjeel Kharal had confirmed on May 2 that “Tando Allahyar CIA has been closed and only DSP is posted there as it is a sanctioned post.” He said minimal staff is kept there.

Khanzada was arrested on April 21. He was found dead in the police lockup on April 22 in A-section police station of Tando Allahyar. The Hyderabad DIG had ordered a separate inquiry that was conducted by Badin SSP Shabbir Sethar.

Neither the Sindh IGP nor AIG Dr Jamil Ahmed responded to calls made to them to seek their viewpoint on the status of the CIA Tando Allahyar. Only in April this year, IGP Mahar had disbanded Regional Crime Control Cell — known as R3C — for having been “maliciously” created in “contravention of rules and directions issued time and again by IG’s office”.

The disbandment of R3C by IGP followed reports of involvement of “policemen associated with R3C” in questionable activities.

Individuals who were associated with Hyderabad region AIG office and R3C in one way or the other were either retired or dismissed from service.

“They (policemen) were facilitating smuggling of maava (a sort of wet tobacco), betel nut, cigarettes and Indian gutka that reach Sindh through Balochistan via Iran where it reaches from India,” said a source.

He said they (policemen) were operating a “line” (route of delivery of goods illegally from one destination to the other) in the region to ensure transportation of goods to traders in Karachi and Hyderabad. Iranian oil is passed through this “line”.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2021